Regional GEM Seminar, Sarajevo

OWPSEE

11 November 2007

Sarajevo hosted the first regional meeting of the Regional GEM (Gender Evaluation Methodology) Seminar, October 19-21, organized by the Foundation OneWorld platform for Southeast Europe.

Representatives of women organizations from the region participated in the Seminar. Valentina Pellizzer (OWPSEE) and Danijela Babic (ZaMirNet) were the featured trainers, using interesting and interactive training approach to inform the participants about ICTs, their role and strategic and creative use for the purpose of achieving positive social change.

The seminar aimed to create a network of active users of GEM, developed by the experts of the Association for Progressive Communications and its department on women issues (WNSP).

The Seminar presented the interactive GEM Manual (over 100 pages of theoretical components, case studies, tools, etc.) that integrates gender analysis and evaluation of projects and initiatives using new information technologies. This tool is useful not only for evaluation of gender and ICG projects, but also when incorporating gender approach to planning and implementation of projects and initaitives.

ZaMirNet, Croatian online portal, is one of the APC member organizations and it has prepared a translation of the Manual in Croatia, making it available to all NGOs, and especially to those organizations that want to review the results of their projects through the viewpoint of gender. It thus allows them to make the necessary corrections and eliminated repeat of projects with negative impact.

GEM�s innovative aspect consists of the fact that its development was accompanied by simultaneous creation of a network of persons using it as a basis for exchange of experiences, analyses and practices. This seminar was another confirmation that the tool was constantly developed from the bottom-up, which means that there is no reason why it shouldn�t be developed further.

The programme of the Seminar included a number of presentations: eSEE Initiative, challenges and overview of current developments; ICT, Why do they Matter?, Predrag Vo�tinić, OWPSEE; BiH Context � Burning Issues, Women and Society Centre, Nada Ler Sofronić; Gender/Sex and Information Technologies � genderIT.org, Katerina Fialova, WNSP (Women network Support Program); as well as presenations of gender action plans in B&H (BiH Gender Agency) and Macedonia (Zdru�enska Akcija).

Mihaela Jović from B.a.B.e. (CRO), Zorica Jovetić from Stela Women Group, (MNO), and Alba Loxha from Kosovo Women Network, also made presentations.

A series of workshops, exercises, discussions and presentaitons contributed to the establishment of cooperation between persons that want to improve their knowledge and exchange experience and information related to ICT and the burning gender issues in the region and beyond.

Technology to the people!